<p>What is the cultural life at Rice? How numerous and/or influential is Christian community? I am from NY, and am interested in Rice but I am leery that it might turn out to be heavily populated by conservative Christians with a big influence on campus. If the atmosphere is even close to Baylor I would cross it off my list. If more than five percent of the student body believes that Intelligent Design should be part of the curriculum, I can't do it. Can anyone help out with info?</p>
<p>I've never heard that about Rice. I was going to apply there, but if 's like that then I'll cross it off my list too. My point of view is pretty much the same as yours, although I might be a little more tolerant of that stuff than you seem to be.</p>
<p>Rice is nothing like Baylor. We are a liberal Jewish family in Houston, and Rice is a comfortable fit. My son is not applying there, since he wants to "flee" to another area of the country. But I have had many other dealings with the school, and have never had any problems. Certainly, there is great diversity in the student body with Christian, Jewish, and Islamic students but there is no hint that the "Christian" students or any other group dominates the tenor of campus life. </p>
<p>If that's your only hesitation, don't let it stop you from applying.</p>
<p>My son is a freshman there and we are a very liberal family from NY with no religion. The first time he met his roommate from Dallas the roommate asked what his religion was and he was thrilled when my son said none. His roommate was afraid he was going to be rooming with a born again Christian who would bug him about it, because he was not religious either. Don't worry, there are many varieties of religion represented there, including none. These are very smart students, many heavily into science, so most won't buy into ID. Although you will find a couple, you will find that they're viewed as a bit wacky. You will fit in fine! Fabulous school with almost everyone very happy there! My son loves it.</p>
<p>Thanks for your comments. CC is great. I am relieved to hear these descriptions of Rice.</p>
<p>Why are y'all so afraid of being around Christians? You say "born again" Christian like it is some disease that you might contract. I don't understand why you would say that you would cross off Rice from your list if more than five percent of the student body believes that Intelligent Design should be part of the curriculum. You want everyone to be tolerant of other people's beliefs but you can't be tolerant of theirs? That doesn't make sense to me. Lauras50 says "These are very smart students, many heavily into science, so most won't but into ID" that is horrible to think that if you autimatically believe in ID that you are not smart. I don't know if that is what you meant, but that is what it came out like. There are respected scientists who believe in ID. I remember reading an article on ID that said that the head of the human genome project, Dr. Francis Collins, believed in ID. I don't remember all the details, but it was in a Times issue over the summer. I don't think that you or anyone could argue that these are incredibly intelligent people. I don't think that ID should be taught as a theory in Science classes, but I think it should be taught somewhere as an ideology. I am reading lauras article again and I find it completely offensive. Do not undermine my intelligence by saying that I am viewed as a bit wacky or that I am not as smart as the student who believe solely in evolution.</p>
<p>To answer your original question, Rice is not a religious school at all. You will fit in fine if you believe in a faith or not. You will not fit in fine if you come with an attitude that anyone who believes in a different idea of how the earth was formed is unintelligent. There is not a big or anything close to a Christian influence on campus here. </p>
<p>I feel like I need to defend my faith here so I want to tell Lauras50 that I am a Christian and no one in my suite is a Christian. I think that if you ask them, they will tell you that I have not "bugged" them about their faith or about their actions. I definitely think that your son should have been worrying a lot more about other things than his roommate being a born again Christian. You make it sound like such a horrible thing. Like if you had to choose between someone who smokes pot all day, gets drunk four nights a week, has sex and sexiles his or her roommate from the room, or a Christian, you would choose anything but the Christian. I want to clarify that I know that most non-Christians do not actually do all or any of the things I listed above, I am just using those as examples to what could be worst than being with someone who believes that we weren't created for this world by complete chance and that our time here is insignificant. I practice my faith and that is what it is. It is MY faith. I am not going to "push" it on you.</p>
<p>I do understand what you mean galiosmath. I did not want to go to a Christian affiliated college either. I do not think that you should perceive Christianity as something evil though. I do sometimes wish that more moral values would prevail on campus. I think that if you decide to come here, you will understand that even if someone thinks differently than you, it doesn't give you the right to discredit them despite what Lauras50 might say. </p>
<p>Okay, I am late to class so I will finish here.</p>
<p>O.K. I think that I see both sides here and I sort of understand where you guys are coming from. Personally I am not religious at all and do not believe in intelligent design. Yet I do have a lot of friends that are heavy in religion. Personally since I hate drinking and partying I sort of fit in better with them. I do hate pushy religous people that feel that it is there god given right to save you. I don't mind if they practice it as their faith however and leave me out of it. I even find it interesting to ask them questions about their beliefs and how their religion works. I have been told however, that I will go straight to hell for not believing in god. This is overstepping the line a lot and is very offensive. Also I think that lauras50 was just making a generalization and was not trying to do some personal attack on christians. I think every agnostic knows that born again christians are usually the pushiest of all the religous people for trying to "save" you. </p>
<p>Generally living among religious people in a conservative state is really not as bad as everyone thinks. I am from an Alaskan town where the streets are empty every Sunday because everyone is in church. Yet I have happily grown up as a liberal agnostic Democrat. And besides a few isolated cases no one has tried to convert me.</p>
<p>heh....i dunno if this is a stupid question, but what's ID?</p>
<p>Intelligent Design</p>
<p>Torrestower: I am sorry if I have offended you in this discussion. I never intended to insult anyone, or cast aspersions on anyone's religious beliefs. Because I know nothing of campus life, but am aware of a greater population of Chrisitain conservatives in the south, I wanted to get some picture of life at Rice. For me, a college that has a signficant conservative influence would not be a good match. </p>
<p>I was just looking for an overview of the community at Rice.</p>
<p>My son was not the one who asked his roommate, it was his roommate who asked him, but he certainly understood! My son wouldn't have minded, because, even though agnostic, he went to a religious middle school because it had a good academic program. Having said that, I am so tired of being attacked for not having a religion and i think only someone in that boat would understand why they don't want to be the only one in a school with that view. Here in the Northeast we don't have that, but you only have to read the newspapers and hear the screaming political representatives and Dobson etc and want to avoid that at college! Some overzealous Christians can make your life a living "hell". Most other religions make it hard to convert into and don't even try to go out and recruit. This country is being taken over by the religlous right...It was a very valid question for a school in the south. Hey, I wouldn't want to be an agnostic and go the Airforce academy.</p>
<p>Okay, I first want to apologize because I did reread your original post and I realized that you said "His roommate was worried...." Sorry about missing that first part. I am also sorry if you thought that I was attacking your beliefs. I do understand where you are coming from about overzealous Christians making others feel uncomfortable. I don't think that I tried to invalidate galiosmath's question. If I did, then it was certainly not what I wanted to do. I told him what Rice was like. </p>
<p>However, I do stand by what I said about why I was offended by your original post. "These are very smart students, many heavily into science, so most won't buy into ID. Although you will find a couple, you will find that they're viewed as a bit wacky" I still find that incredibly offensive. </p>
<p>Also, I am not from the South and I am not for the religious right taking over the country. Hopefully, Americans will wise up in the next election and realize the problems with the Conservative government. Just thought that I should throw that in there, because you added something that made it sound like you were prove something to me about my faith and generalizing that because I am a Christian then I must not understand any other viewpoint.</p>
<p>I don't want this thread to go too far off the "Rice/Religion Experience" and into "Christianity vs. The Rest" but I'll say this, using myself as an example:</p>
<p>I consider myself a Christian. I also subscribe to Intelligent Design -- or, at least, my own understanding of it that I developed long before ID was such a buzzword. However, Intelligent Design is a matter of <em>faith</em> and not something that belongs in <em>legislation.</em> Once it's legislation, it's no longer faith.</p>
<p>I think you'll find that most Christians at Rice can recognize this distinction, so ID should be the least of your worries. There are Christian groups on campus, and one in particular that does make its presence known, but you'll find that nearly anywhere. It's <em>not</em> overwhelming and no one is scorned for their beliefs. You can respectfully decline and your preference will be respected in turn. There are groups on campus for pretty much every other mainstream faith, too, so finding your niche (or avoiding them altogether) won't be too hard.</p>
<p>I had an "argument" with a "born again" Christian once upon a time, but it was really more of a philosophical debate and actually quite enjoyable. The best thing is to <em>not</em> be prejudiced and don't stereotype -- and don't worry! Rice isn't Baylor!</p>
<p>I am a diehard atheist but my roomate and suitemates are all very Christian. I am getting along surprisingly well with them because they don't try to convert me. In fact, our disagreements have actually helped me solidify my position.</p>
<p>You have no need to fear over-the-top evangelism if your applying to Rice. The religious presence here in now way resembles the Southern Baptist nature of Baylor. No community of intellectuals will allow blind faith to subvert reason, and Rice is no exception.</p>
<p>Remember, college is an opportunity for you to be exposed to people whose beliefs and attitudes are different from your own so that you will learn how to live in the real world. Besides, I think you would be discounting your education if you never experienced any discomfort.</p>
<p>As a student, I feel most people more or less keep to themselves about their religion. torres probably represents most of the religious students in saying: "It is MY faith. I am not going to 'push' it on you." I have to admit, torres, that you seem to want to push the fact that you are heavily involved in christianity onto this board. You do not have to "defend your faith" which nobody called into question. Such is the reaction of the majority of christians on campus. My only real problem with religiously involved people is this mild brand of annoyance (eek! sorry) prevalent at most colleges. I'll explain.</p>
<p>Most religious people/groups recognize that proselytizing others is not in the spirit of acceptance, so you tend to see people instead that are highly expressive of their own involvement. They keep to their own religion by not trying to convert you or forcing ID on you or whatever else, but they let it known that they are supporters of the beliefs they have. The combination of the two ideas of embracing diversity and being involved in your community is kind of dangerous and slightly irritating. The desire to accept and to be accepted is for me sometimes so overwhelming that I am left wondering why the heck people even discuss these matters. It is almost as if some sects of religion comprise a community of people who agree to get offended by the same things. It's nuts. </p>
<p>Let me step back and say, however, that on the whole Rice is probably low to moderate in terms of visible involvement including demonstrations, lectures, etc. </p>
<p>I did attend an "evolution talk" which was advertised to answer all my questions on the matter instantly. And who would have thought? It did! I now know not to discuss Intelligent Design with anyone else on the planet. At one point the lecturer said, and I remember this distinctly, "We are talking around the issue, but this is really all about God. He loves us and he wants you to love him. He wants you to be close to him and see his work." I should have read the flyer more closely and I would have noticed the 1/128" Rice Christian Fellowship stamp on the lower left-hand corner. </p>
<p>But like I said, the atmosphere is saccharine certainly, but there's a niche out there for all you pessimists (hint: you don't even have to leave your room). :)</p>
<p>D is very involved in the Episcopal Church across from Rice. She is very liberal and so is that church. She doesn't find Rice to be unduly religious or conservative at all. If it bore ANY resemblance to Baylor she would not have applied, and I would have run screaming from it.</p>
<p>torrestowers, well said. I liked your post and response. I think no doubt there are radicals on both sides of the Christianity fence. We are Christians and our S is applying to Rice ID. As much as some hope that Rice is not overtly religious, we are hoping Rice is not overly agnostic. Sounds to me like Rice is accomodating of both-believers and non-believers alike. Our S is much like you, a Christian and a believer, but not a radical. I think any non-believer once meeting our S would be very happy to room with him.</p>
<p>DD is an athiest, and finds life at Rice just grand.</p>
<p>There are really folks of all kinds here. There are evangelical christians, tons of non-evangelical christians, jews, muslims, buddists, hindus, agnostics, athiests, others, people who haven't decided what they believe in, people who have no interest in religion, religion majors, etc.</p>
<p>EVERYONE is tolerated, respected, listened to.</p>
<p>There are clubs including Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Hillel, Secular Students of Rice, Campus Crusade, Muslim Students Association, Rice for Life, Baptist Student Association, Rice for Choice, etc.</p>
<p>There are people who believe in creationism, intelligent design, evolution. There are people who believe the bible is absolute truth and directly from god. There are people who believe the bible is an interesting piece of literature, and nothing more. </p>
<p>The campus newspaper is full of debates about the role of ID, the ethics of abortion, and more broadly, the role of religion. All sides are represented there and in classroom discussions. Who wants to go to a school where one person states their opinon, and then the rest of the class nods and says, yes, we all agree. You can't learn anything that way.</p>
<p>Whatever your beliefs, as long as you respect others (as almost all Rice students do), you will be accepted and appreciated. </p>
<p>I for one, am a liberal, non-religious Jew. I love going to Katz's deli, but rarely go to synagogue. And that's fine.</p>
<p>sreis, "You do not have to "defend your faith" which nobody called into question"- r u kidding? </p>
<p>Doesnt "These are very smart students, many heavily into science, so most won't buy into ID." call into question a christian's intelligence? </p>
<p>And I do live in Houston, atheist, but u guys seriously are retarded, being arrogant enough to demean someone's point of view but want to "stay in your room"- what cowardice.....</p>
<p>And finally....Baylor.....have any of u ever been to waco? thats what i thought....i have and its the most drugs( weed, coke) you will find density-wise in all of texas.</p>